Standard bearer: Lindsay was first girl to win Class AA gold in pole vault
Athletes rarely have the opportunity to be the standard bearer for their sport, to be the first to set the bar for those who follow.
However, Dr. Jocelyn (Lindsay) Vojcsik not only set the standard in 1999, but did so in such a manner the Waynesburg Central graduate was the mark to beat for over a decade.
Vojcsik didn鈥檛 set out to be a pole vaulter because the sport was not offered in the state until her freshman year at Waynesburg.
鈥淚 was a gymnast. I started when I was eight years old and continued all the way through my freshman year,鈥� said Vojcsik.
Vojcsik was brought into the sport by another one of coach Butch Brunell鈥檚 fine vaulters, Bradi Rhoades.
鈥淏radi鈥檚 sister and I played softball together. Bradi said 鈥楬ey, a lot of gymnasts do pole vault, so why not try?,'鈥� recalled Vojcsik. 鈥淚 had no idea. I watched a video on VHS with Bradi.鈥�
Female vaulters often have a gymnastics background.
鈥淏eing a gymnast, you throw yourself in the air. It鈥檚 thrilling. It鈥檚 a very technical sport,鈥� said Vojcsik, adding, 鈥淚 was very interested in flying. Flying through the air was fun.
鈥淚nitially, I did (pole vault) just for fun. I liked the learning process of the sport. I was transitioning out of gymnastics. It took its toll.
鈥淚t was a perfect transition into pole vault after I ended gymnastics.鈥�
Vojcsik found similarities between the sports and her preparation and approach.
鈥淵ou compete with yourself. You鈥檙e competing against that mark. It was a natural transition. It was more on an internal drive thing,鈥� explained Vojcsik.
The WPIAL held the Class AAA and AA individual track & field championships at separate sites 30 years ago with the small school meet held at South Side Area before the big school meet a couple days later at Baldwin.
Lindsay won the first WPIAL gold medal by a girl when she cleared 9-6 in the 1999 finals.
Then, doing what she didn鈥檛 think possible, Lindsay cleared 11 feet a week later for the first gold medal awarded in the state to a girl in pole vault.
鈥淚 stiff vaulted 9-6 at the WPIALs,鈥� said Vojcsik. 鈥淚 was debuting bending the pole in competition at states. Nobody knew I could vault that high,鈥� said Vojcsik. 鈥淚 was so beyond excited I jumped 11 feet.鈥�
The girls Class AA pole vault was in the 9 a.m. slot of field events on the first day of competition, so Vojcsik and her fellow competitors were the first to do so in the history of the sport in the state.
鈥淲e had to weigh in with our poles at 7 a.m. before the competition,鈥� recalled Vojcsik. 鈥淭he opening height was really low.
鈥淥ne of the officials (working the pole vault pit) said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the very first girl pole vaulter to win states.鈥� It donned on me at that point. I had a lot of fun. It was pretty cool to win states.鈥�
Though, Lindsay said she didn鈥檛 necessarily have gold in her sights.
鈥淚t was more to finish the best I could,鈥� said Vojcsik.
The 1999 state meet also started a four-year competition against Fairview鈥檚 Kim Stuvyesant. Stuvyesant finished second in the first state final with a vault of 10-6.
Vojcsik鈥檚 teammates also had a strong meet with Rhoades finishing second, Nathan Freedman third and Jeremy Patton sixth.
Vojcsik hit her best postseason vault as a sophomore in 2000 when she won WPIAL gold after clearing 12-5. The mark was the best in the nation for sophomores. Her record stood until it was eclipsed in 2012 by Marissa Kalsey鈥檚 gold-medal winning effort of 12-6.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to look for PRs (personal bests) when you go up a centimeter or inch. It was fun to break my own record,鈥� said Vojcsik.
Vojcsik finished second to Stuyvesant in the 2000 state meet. Stuyvesant cleared 12-3 and Vojcsik made 12 feet.
Vojcsik fought through an injury for her third-straight WPIAL gold medal, but only cleared 10 feet to do so. She finished second to Stuvyesant again her junior year. Stuvyesant made 11-6 and Vojcsik cleared 10-6.
鈥淚 broke my ankle seven weeks before states. I thought it was a sprain, but ended up with three fractures,鈥� said Vojcsik.
Vojcsik capped her four-year, WPIAL gold medal run as a senior in 2002 and did so on a rainy, miserable day at South Side. Lindsay cleared 10-3, deemed good enough to move the meet along so the boys could vault.
Vojcsik capped her high school career with a gold medal at the state meet after clearing 12 feet, though she had an anxious moment at the opening height of 10-6. She remembers vaulting in a different direction from her earlier state meets.
鈥淚 was nervous. Everybody has that feeling of no-heighting. The no-heighting played a lot with my mind with the senior thing,鈥� Vojcsik said after the 2002 meet.
鈥淚t was a great feeling (to win the gold medal). I came here and did what I wanted to do. It was great to start out my freshman year and make my mark. It鈥檚 hard to win more than once. You have to do your best to get here,鈥� added Vojcsik.
Vojcsik also looked forward to competing in the annual Baldwin Invitational, where she had the opportunity to vault against the area鈥檚 best girls, no matter the classification.
鈥淭he Baldwin Invitational was a mini-state meet for us. I got to vault against all the girls,鈥� said Vocjsik.
Pole vault has its perils and Vojcsik learned first-hand of the dangers.
鈥淚 missed the mat a couple times. I cracked my head. My pole broke and hit me in the head. I ended up with three staples,鈥� said Vojcsik.
Vojcsik continued her career at Purdue and still remains in the top 10 with her top vault of 13-1陆.
Vojcsik also set the standard at Waynesburg. At least one Lady Raider won a WPIAL medal through 2012, including three gold medals from Kalsey and a silver from Kalsey and Randi Patton. The WPIAL Class AA girls pole vault record has been only held by Waynesburg vaulters with Taylor Shriver breaking Kalsey鈥檚 mark when she cleared 12-7 in 2019.
鈥淭hey said Butch Brunell was a pretty good pole vault coach, and that says he is. He knew everything back then,鈥� praised Vojcsik.
Vojcsik graduated from Purdue in 2006 with a degree in movement and sports science. She earned her doctorate in physical therapy from Chatham University.
Vojcsik and husband Greg have three children, six-year-old Donny, four-year-old Chase and 15-month-old Riley. She is a physical therapist that works in an acute in-patient care facility.
Vojcsik hopes to get back into the sport in some manner.
鈥淚鈥檝e talked it over with my husband and maybe do private sessions, one-on-one. I鈥檇 love to do that. Bradi (Rhoades) runs camps, get out and do things like that. It鈥檚 soul feeding for me,鈥� said Vojcsik.
Vojcsik is proud to be the athlete to set the mark other girls could follow. When she started, there were few role models for female vaulters.
鈥淢om and dad told me we will do whatever we need to do,鈥� said Vojcsik. 鈥淪tacy Dragila was the one out there doing her thing. I really looked up to her. I got to meet her at outdoor nationals my sophomore year. I was awestruck. She paved the way for me.
鈥淚t was the process of getting there and getting the respect on the state stage, to believe they could do that as a female, really paved the way for other girls to pole vault.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 come up often, but when it does come up, I鈥檓 proud of it.鈥�
Vojcsik closed, saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 glad I had the opportunity to open the doors to continue the legacy of pole vaulting in Pennsylvania, and at Waynesburg.鈥�